Steamboat's After Prom Committee needs support

Goup seeks donations for substance-free event for high school

How to help

Donations can be dropped off at the Steamboat Springs High School or mailed to After Prom Committee member Amy Harris at 870 Mauna Kea Lane, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487. All checks should be made out to After Prom Party.

For more information, contact committee member Marci Valicenti at 970-846-9224 or marci.valicenti@s...

Steamboat Springs  The Steamboat Springs After Prom Committee needs help raising money for the annual event intended to be a deterrent to youth drug and alcohol use.

After Prom Committee Chair­woman Debbie Anderson said about 98 percent of juniors and seniors typically attend the free event that started in 1999. She said it costs between $15,000 and $20,000 for the volunteer group of parents to host the event.

“I understand the economic climate is what it is, but we just think it’s a worthwhile effort,” she said. “We want to keep it going.”

Marci Valicenti, who is in charge of fundraising for the After Prom Committee, said the group hopes to raise more than $15,000 for this year’s event, which will be held from midnight to 5 a.m. April 30. It will include a dodgeball tournament, casino games, inflatables in the gymnasium, circus games and a disc jockey to play music in the “Chill Lounge.” The event will be capped off by a hypnotist.

Valicenti said funding for the event also pays for food and prizes for students.

“At this point, I would say we’d be lucky to make what we brought in last year, which was $12,000, and that was slightly up from the year before that,” she said.

Valicenti said it’s important for parents to get involved even if their children already have graduated or are younger than the students who will participate in the year’s prom. She said it was started to give students an alternative to private parties held after the dance.

And without that support, Valicenti said it would be difficult to continue hosting the After Prom Party.

Anderson said the After Prom Committee will accept donations from any source, including parents, community members and businesses. She said it’s an important event that the students look forward to.

“It keeps them safe,” she said. “That’s why we as parents continue to do this.”